Kajans Hospitality & Catering Studio College
Client - The Kajans Education & Cultural Trust
Role - Lead Education Consultant
Julie is leading on the educational side of this new, high profile Studio College in Aston Birmingham. To date she has supported the writing of the successful application, completed all educational plans and policies to a standard the Department for Education has deemed to be exemplary, and trained the Trust and Governors to understand their roles. Julie has also produced the copy for the consultation brochure, the prospectus and an employer guide which is a completely original document aimed at explaining the role of employers in the Studio College. She has also developed the building plans in conjunction with the architects and, working with the Education Funding Agency, the ICT solution. KHCSC is a unique facility specialising in Caribbean Cuisine and is due to open in September 2013.  

Creative and Media Academy
Client - The Academy Trust
Role - Specialist Consultant
January 2013 to April 2013
This piece of work involved researching, planning and delivering a statutory admissions consultation in line with the School Admissions Code 2012. Julie planned every aspect of the consultation including the identification of all stakeholder groups, the production of consultation literature and the organisation of consultation events.  

Beamont Collegiate Academy
Client - Warrington Collegiate
Role - Education Consultant
September 2012 to March 2013
Julie supported this successful sponsored Academy conversion by producing all the relevant documentation, policies and marketing materials whilst advising both the Senior Staff at the collegiate and that of the predecessor school. She also advised them on the organisation and delivery of a very successful statutory consultation.  

Sandymoor School
Client - The Sandymoor School Trust
Role - Specialist Education Consultant
January 2012 to August 2012
Julie acted as a specialist consultant on this Free School project in Cheshire, helping the Trust to produce all the relevant documentation needed to open a new school. She also provided advice and mentoring to the new SENCO.  

Overview of the past 5 years  

Harpurhey Studio School
Client – The Manchester College
Role – Education Lead, Senior Project Manager
March 2011 to September 2011

In this innovative and fast paced project, Julie was involved in every aspect of the school’s development from producing the initial ethos and vision to organising the ICT, accommodation and staffing. The Harpurhey Studio School was the first of its kind in Greater Manchester and had a unique curriculum based on practical, real life projects through which the students acquire qualifications, life and work skills.  

PGCE Student Teacher Training
Client – Queen’s University Belfast
Role – Specialist Education Consultant
August 2011 to September 2011

Julie was recommended to Dr Jarman of Queen’s University for this piece of work by the National Science Learning Centre where she has been invited back for five years to deliver SEN assessment training. The piece of work involved writing and delivering a bespoke practical training event for 48 student science teachers who were about to go into their first teaching practice. Julie wrote case studies for different SEN pupils and, using these, the students differentiated the task and expected learning outcomes for each one. This piece of work involved extensive research into the Northern Ireland secondary education model, their SEN review that has just taken place and the NI Assessment for Learning materials. It was very well received by Dr Jarman and the students.

North Manchester Leadership training programme
Client – North Manchester Secondary School Collaborative
Role – Educational Leadership and Change Consultant
June 2010 to July 2011

This piece of work was commissioned by the manager of the Collaborative and has proved to be a very well received CPD opportunity for staff from the local secondary schools and academies. The course includes such topics as leadership qualities, situational leadership, emotional intelligence related to leadership styles and knowledge of self and others in your team/organisation to maximise the potential of the team. The second part of the course covers transformational leadership and change management, using the Kotter model as a framework and relating the steps to the present and future needs of the individuals and their school teams. Included in the training are an overview of the latest thinking in school design and management together with a study of how ICT is enabling greater personalisation and choice for the learner. 

Durham BSF
Client – Durham LEP
Role – ICT Education Consultant
November 2010 to February 2011

Julie worked with the senior subject inspectors in Durham to help them understand the role of ICT as a stimulus and enabler in the personalisation of learning and teaching. The initial task was to evaluate the exact client needs against the brief. This was done through face to face meetings, exploratory dialogues and a refining and re-focusing of the brief. Throughout the three months of the programme the content, pace and delivery of the professional development was tailored to the specific needs of individuals and the group as a whole. The materials included emergent and established best practice in the use of digital technologies, examining the latest evidence and case studies to ensure all content was factual and relevant. In addition to developing their digital literacy skills, the inspectors used and evaluated a wide range of devices and software, mentoring and supporting each other to ensure sustainability of the initiative after the training had finished. The course received excellent reviews from both the inspectors and the BSF/School Transformation Leads. 

Manchester Academies
Clients – BT, Microsoft, Manchester Airport, Co-op, Bovis, Laing O’Rourke, Manchester CC, The Manchester College
Role – Programme Education Lead
May 2008 - September 2010

Julie was education lead across the seven academies in the Manchester Academy programme, working closely with the LA, the sponsors and the Academy senior teams. Working across the project team she ensured there was rigorous quality assurance of all educational deliverables and that best practice was transferred across the programme. She helped individual Academy Principals to develop their whole Academy Development Plans as well as supporting the strategic aims of the programme. The academies all passed their Ofsted inspections and were opened on time and within budget with greatly improved client relationships 

Blackburn with Darwen and Bolton BSF
Client – Balfour BeattyRole – Education Advisor
February 2008 – August 2009

As an education adviser to the preferred bidder, Balfour Beatty, Julie worked on all aspects of the sample school designs ensuring an integrated approach to building layout, educational aims and the ICT solution. This ensured the new learning environments reflect the school and LA’s education and ICT visions, promoting innovation and transformation whilst acting as hubs for community service provision. During the engagement period Julie organised and facilitated visioning and design workshops where children and staff from the special and mainstream schools worked directly with architects, landscape architects, ICT providers and designers, allowing them to clearly articulate and model their ideas. She also wrote several sections of the winning bid submission including the design philosophy. Working directly with the architects and the ICT provider Northgate, Julie designed the SEN and Inclusion facilities in the BSF sample schools so the arrangement and nature of the spaces reflected the strategic aims of the LA and responded to the learning and behavioural needs of the pupils. They also incorporated flexible multi-agency accommodation and spaces for alternative curriculum delivery.  

 

Previous roles
 - 2004 to 2006 Lancashire County Council Senior Teacher Advisor (Inclusion/SEN)
 - 2001 to 2004   Westleigh High School Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and Inclusion Manager
 - 1999 to 2001 Halewood Community Comprehensive Teacher of Special Needs
 - 1998 to 1999 Crosshall High School, Ormskirk Design Technology teacher Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator
 - 1995 to 1997 Pontville Residential Special School School, Ormskirk Head of Art and Design Technology
 - 1987 to 1997 St Wilfrid’s Independent Secondary School, Exeter Head of Art and Design Technology, Teacher of English
 - 1984 to 1987 Bradfield House Residential Special School, Cullompton Head of Art and Design, Teacher of General Subjects